Resilient bulb controlled liquidmeasuring dispenser



Jan. 16, 1951 w. T. MATHlS RESILIENT BULB CONTROLLED LIQUID-MEASURING DISPENSER Filed Sept. 29, 1948 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES ()FFECE ATENT Waddy T. Mathis, Hamden, Conn.

Application September 29, 1948, Serial No. 51,751

3 Claims. I

The present invention relates to improvements in liquid-measuring dispensers and relates more particularly to liquid-measuring dispensers which may be charged with the desired amount of liquid by suction and which are adapted to discharge such liquid upon the relaxation of such suction. Such dispensers are mainly used by chemists, bacteriologists and other scientists.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a superior liquid-measuring dispenser of the character referred to and which may be produced at a low cost for manufacture and which combines reliability and accuracy of operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior liquid-measuring dispenser of the character referred to which may be convenienty fixed to a laboratory bench or the like and have its combined intake-and-dispensing member capable of being readily shifted between a liquidsupply vessel and a liquid-receiving vessel.

A. further object of the present invention is to provide a superior dispenser of the character referred to and having a liquid-measuring tube and a liquid-holding tube both separable one from the other and separable as a unit from the remainder of the device, to thus permit the employment of such tubes having different capacities or graduations in various combinations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a superior liquid-measuring dispenser having a liquid-measuring tube of the character above referred to and constructed and arranged so that the graduations upon the said tube may be more conveniently observed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. i is a perspective view of a preferred form of liquid-measuring dispenser embodying the present invention and shown as attached to a laboratory bench;

Fig. 2 is a broken view partly in central-longitudinal section and partly in side elevation of the lower portion of the dispenser but on a larger scale than Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in central-longitudinal section, of the elbow, coupling-tubes and adjacent portions of the liquid-measuring tube. and liquid-holding tube.

l he particular liquid-measuring dispenser illustrated in the accompanying drawings for purposes of making clear a preferred form of the present invention, includes a bracket-like mounting-member generally designated by the reference character It, a liquid-measuring tube il, a liquid-holding tube 12, a tubular elbow l3 and two flexible coupling-tubes respectively designated by the reference characters M and ii The mounting-member it above referred to may be conveniently formed of a strip or" metal bent into substantially U-shaped form to provide two spaced-apart parallel arms Iii and I? integrally interconnected by a reach I8 extending in substantial parallelism with the liquid-measuring tube I i before referred to. Integral with and projecting from the upper arm it of the mounting-member IE3 in a direction away from the reach I 3 thereof, is a mounting-finger 59. In the instance shown, the said mounting-finger extends at an angle intermediate the plane of the arm iii and the central-longitudinal ads of the tube It, so as to support the latter (in a manner as will hereinafter appear) in an inclined position. The mounting-finger 19 just referred to is provided with two '(more or less) countersunk apertures 2l-2t respectively adapted to receive one of two screws Zl2l. The screws just referred to may serve to secure the mounting-finger 19 to the surface of a laboratory bench 22 or the like in such manner as to enable the mounting-m'ember iii to support the liquid-measuring tube II in the inclined position previously referred to.

Rigidly secured in the arm H of the mountingmember Ii) is an internally-threaded bushing 23 projecting toward the arm l6 and threadedly receiving an operating-screw 24 arranged to rotate about an axis which is coaxial with the axis of the liquid-measuring tube 1 I, as is especially well indicated in Fig. 2. At its lower end, the operatingscrew 24 has attached to it a finger-piece 25 by means of which the said operating-screw may be conveniently manually rotated. At its end nearer the liquid-measuring tube ii, the operating-screw 24 is formed with a head 26 having a convex end-surface and fitting within an inverted cup-shaped bulb-compressing member 2?, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

The bulb-compressing member 2"! above referred to is adapted to be actuated by the operating-screw 24 so as to squeezeor compress a bulb 28 normally located intermediate the underface of the arm it of the mounting-member i0 and the said member 21, though conveniently removable therefrom in a manner as will hereinafter appear.

The bulb 28 above referred to may be formed of rubber or other suitable elastic material, and is so molded (in a manner common in the art) as to normally tend to resume its fully-expanded or spherical form when relieved of compressive forces. At a point axially in line with the tube ii and the operating-screw 24, the bulb 28 is provided with an aperture 29 into which is adapted to be forced with a fluid-tight fit, the tapering inner terminal 30 of the liquid-measuring tube H. The portion of the liquid-measuring tube l I adjacent its terminal 30 is adapted to fit with freedom for removal and replacement, in a bushing 3! rigidly mounted in the arm I6 of the mounting-member III and extending away from the bulb 23.

The liquid-measuring tube II may be an or dinary transparent glass pipette and in the instance shown may be provided with graduations indicating any desired units of volume.

The upper end of the liquid-measuring tube I has slipped over it the lower portion of the flexible coupling-tube It, which latter, in turn, has its upper portion fitted over the adjacent arm of the elbow l3 so as to connect the latter the tube H with freedom for relative movement. The remaining arm of the elbow I3 has slipped over it the upper end of the flexible coupling-tube i5, which latter has its lower portion slipped over the open upper end of the liquidholding tube 22, to thus further provide articulation. The said tube l2 may be in the form of an ordinary transparent glass pipette.

The elbow E3 and its associated features are so constructed and arranged that the liquidholding tube I2, in effect, extends downwardly from the upper terminal-end of the liquidmeasuring tube ii.

Normally, the bulb 28 is filled with a suitable iiuio. such, for instance, as colored water, mercury or the like, which fluid may be forced upwardly into the liquid-measuring tube I i by compressing bulb 28, all in the manner and for purposes i as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Operation For purposes of description, it may be assumed that the operating-screw 2% has been turned to compress the bulb 28 and thereby cause the liquid contained therein to rise to the zero in 1g (or other desired marking) on the liquid-measuring tube ii. It may further be as sumed that the end of the liquid-holding tube i2 is immersed in a fluid contained in a liquidsupply vessel, which latter is indicated by the broken lines 3?; in l, and which is located adjacent a liqui- -recei'lng vessel indicated by the broken lines .13 in the same figure.

New with the lower end of the liquid-holding tube i2 immersed in the desired liquid contained in the liquid-supply vessel 32, the operatingscrew may be reversed or retired, to thereby per the bulb '23 to expand under its own ii" resiliency. The expansion of the bulb 28 will draw the liquid in the liquid-measuring l! downward, thereby creating a suction or partial vacuum withi the upper end of the said tube ii and, similarly, in the connected liquidhr ning tube 22. The suction or vacuum reed to will cause the liquid from the vessel 32 to rise up into the liquid-holding tube i2 in volume corresponding to the volume represented by the degree to which the liquid in the liquidmeasuring tube II has been retired downwardly by the expansion of the bulb 28. When the liquid in the liquid-measuring tube I! has been lowered to the desired graduation, it wil1 represent to a very accurate degree the amount of liquid which has risen into the liquid-holding tube I2 from the liquid-supply vessel 32, despite the fact that the tube I2 may have diiTerent internal-diameter characteristics from the similar characteristics of the liquid-measuring tube I I.

After the liquid in the liquid-measuring tube I I has been lowered to the desired graduation, the retirement of the operating-screw 24 will be halted and the vessel 32 moved away from the lower end of the flexibly-mounted or articulated liquid-holding tube, following which the lower end of the said tube may be swung over into registry with the liquid-receiving vessel 33.

The operating-screw 24% may now be advanced to compress the bulb 28 and thereby again raise the liquid level in the liquid-measuring tube Ii. The raising of the liquid level just referred to will cause the commensurate discharge of the contents of the liquid-holding tube I2 into the liquidreceiving vessel 33.

If desired, the bulb 28 may be contracted and subsequently expanded to substantially fill the iiquid-holding tube i2 so that the latter will contain an amount of liquid over and beyond that which it is desired to dispense. The user may talce note of the level at which the liquid is in the tube I i and may then advance the operatingscrew 24' to compress the bulb 2t and thus cause the said liquid level to rise in the tube H to the desired graduation, thereby expelling the desired volume of liquid (though not necessarily all) from the liquid-holding tube i2 into any desired liquid-receiving vessel such, for instance, as 33. The volume thus expelled from the tube i2 will correspond to the volume represented by the degree to which the liquid in the tube I I has been moved upwardly.

The charging of the liquid-holding tube I2 with the desired liquid does not cause such liquid to flow over into the liquid-measuring tube I! nor, conversely, does compressing of the bulb 23 cause the liquid contained in the liquid-measuring tube II, to move over into the interior of the liquid-holding tube I2 or its equivalent.

The liquid-holding tube l2 may be removed for cleansing or for being replaced with a dif ferent size liquid-holding tube, by merely slipping the upper end or" the said holding-tube out of the flexible coupling-tube I5.

In the event of the breakage of the liquidmeasuring tube II, or in the event that it is desired to replace the same withanother liquidmeasuring tube having different capacities and/or different graduations, the said tube i! may be readily withdrawn from the bushing 3| and the aperture 29 in the bulb 23 preferably after the said bulb has been fully expanded to thereby draw into itself substantially all of the measuring liquid. The elbow 53 may be readily disconnected from the upper end of the liquid-measuring tube II by withdrawing the latter from the lower end of the flexible coupling-tube I' l.

It is to be noted that the mounting-member iii is so constructed and arranged as to hold the liquid-measuring tube II or its equivalent at an angle inclined intermediate the vertical and horizontal, thus enabling the articulated liquid-holding tube to be readily entered into and removed from various vessels or containers. By holding the liquid-measuring tube II in the inclined position shown, the reading of the graduations is greatly facilitated and accuracy is preserved, since the inclination of the said tube i i does not change from one part of a given measuring operation to another.

The bulb 28 may be readily removed when desired by first withdrawing the terminal 33 of the tube i i from the aperture 28 and then laterally shifting the said bulb out from between the underface of the arm 58 and the upper surface of the bulb-compressing member 27.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A liquid-measuring dispenser, including in combination: a substantially U-shaped mounting-member having an upper arm and a substantially-parallel lower arm both connected together by a reach to provide the substantially U shaped form referred to, the said upper arm having an opening and provided with a tubular tube-receiving portion projecting therefrom in registration with the said opening, the said lower arm having a threaded passage in substantial axial alignment with the tube-receiving portion of the said upper arm, and one of the said arms being extendedin a direction away from the said reach to provide a mounting-finger extending therefrom at an angle intermediate the general plane of said arm of which it forms a part and the longitudinal axis of the said tube-receiving portion to thus dispose the latter axis in a direction intermediate the vertical and horizontal when the said mounting-arm is secured to a bench or the like; an operating-screw extending through the lower arm of the said mountingmember and threadedly engaged with the threaded passage therein; a resilient bulb located intermediate the upper end of the said operatingscrew and the underface of the said upper arm and provided with an aperture registering with the opening in the said upper arm; an inclined liquid-measuring tube having its lower end extended downwardly through the tube-receiving portion of the said upper arm and into the aperture in the said bulb; and a fluid-holding tube depending from the upper end of the said liquidmeasuring tube.

2. A liquid-measuring dispenser, including in combination: a substantially U-shaped mounting-member having an upper arm and a substantially-parallel lower arm both connected together by a reach to provide the substantially U-shaped form referred to, the said upper arm having an opening and being provided with a tubular tube-receiving portion projecting therefrom in registration with the said opening, the said lower arm having a threaded passage in substantial axial alignment with the tube-receiving portion of the said upper arm, and the said upper arm being extended in a direction away from the said reach to provide a mountingfinger extending therefrom at an angle intermediate the general plane of the said upper arm and the longitudinal axis of the said tube-receiving portion to thus dispose the latter axis in a direction intermediate the vertical and horizontal when the said mounting-arm is secured to a bench or the like; an operating-screw extending through the lower arm of the said mounting-member and threadedly engaged with the threaded \passage therein; a resilient bulb located intermediate the upper end of the said operating-screw and the underface of the said upper arm and provided with an aperture regisering with the opening in the said upper arm; an inclined liquid-measuring tube having its lower end extended downwardly through the tubereceivi ng portion of the said upper arm and into the aperture in the said bulb; and a fluid-holding tube depending from the upper end of the said liquid-measuring tube.

3. A liquid-measuring dispenser, including in combination: a substantially U-shaped mountingmember having an upper arm and a substantiallyparallel lower arm both connected together by a reach to provide the substantially U-shaped form referred to, the said upper arm having an opening and being provided with a tube-receiving bushing projecting upwardly therefrom and secured in the said opening, the said lower arm having an opening and a threaded bushing secured therein, the said bushing projecting upwardly from the said lower arm with its axis parallel with and in substantial axial alignment with the said tubereceiving bushing, and the said upper arm being extended in a direction away from the said reach to provide a mounting-finger extending therefrom at an angle intermediate the general plane of the said upper arm and the longitudinal axis of the said tube-receiving bushing to thus dispose the latter axis in a direction intermediate the vertical and horizontal when the said mounting-arm is secured to a bench or the like; an operating-screw extending through the lower arm of the said mounting-member and threadedly engaged with the threaded bushing therein; a resilient bulb located intermediate the upper end of the said operating-screw and the underface of the said upper arm and provided with an aperture registering with the opening in the tube-receiving bushing; an inclined liquidmeasuring tube having its lower end extended I downwardly through the tube-receiving bushing of the said upper arm and into the aperture in the said bulb; and a fluid-holding tube depend ing from and articulately connected to the upper end of the said liquid-measuring tube.

WADDY T. MATHIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,915,671 Myer June 27, 1933 2,105,957 Severson Jan. 18, 1938 2,407,765 Palmer Sept. 17, 1946 2,428,577 Mathis Oct. 7, 1947 

